The present invention relates to micromechanical microfabricated inertial rate sensors and in particular to a vibrating tuning fork rate sensor. Micromechanical inertial rate sensors are known either of a gyroscopic structure in which a double gimbal system utilizes a vibrating gimbal element, or a tuning fork structure utilizes a vibrating set of tuning forks for sensing inertial rates about an input axis and providing a corresponding motional change or rotation of the suspended element that can be detected to provide an indication of inertial rate. Such microfabricated devices hold a promise for large scale production and therefore low cost. The quest in such devices centers on the desire for improved sensitivity or increased signal to noise ratio in order to increase the range of applications where such devices may be used as well as a reduction in the fabrication steps to reduce overall processing complexity and cost as well as to improve the yield in the manufacture of such devices from silicon wafers using photolithograpic techniques well known in the art of semiconductor manufacture.